A power hidden within
by Marilith
Summary: Her mother killed at the age of 10 Natsuko is now living alone in a village that doesnt really care. But when Bandits attack something happens that suddenly makes them want to get rid of her...were will she go when driven from her home. SessXOc
1. The beginning

A/n got this idea after I started reading Inuyasha fanfiction again...dont know just felt I had to try and get it down.

' ' thoughts

" " speach

> telepathic speach.

Please RR...hope you like my feeble attempt of a fanfic. I know there arent much of the Inuyasha crew yet, except for a hint to one but they will show up soon dont worry. Natsuko and her mother is my own creation. Just up ahead, I am no poet so forgive me my week attemp to make a real sounding profecy.

Disclaimer: Just be sure I will say from the start that I dont any one the lovely Inuyasha characters sigh Do I really have write this everytime I add a new chapter? It is so depressing.

-

_The pearl breaks as the heart of the miko rages  
Now miko and knight must search  
Through fire, hate and love  
and finally the spider will make his appearance_

The spider and his minions will spin a silken web  
he will split the miko and her knight  
tell them lies of deceit and hatred  
But they will overcome and rip apart the silken veil

In love the will pearl once more be complete  
the evil ones will die by a hateful hand  
a promised will be broken and a child born  
and once more a period of peace will come

One day Fire and ice will meet   
and from that union a child will be bourn  
bound by fate this child will scorch all  
and all lands will be reigned by the flame 

-

The last rays of the sun light up the village. Around the small houses children were playing, enjoying the short time before diner would be ready and they would be confined to their homes with their families. Near one of the house two men were playing a board game, while a small group of others looked on and cheered for their favourite player.

Time seemed to stand still for them, after a hard days work in the fields this was their time to rest and play. But time never does stand still and soon the wives and mothers of the village came out of the houses calling in their loved ones for diner. After diner the evening was spent talking, sewing and telling old myths and legends, to remind the children (and them selves) of their great history and imbue them with the proper respect for the higher lord and ladies. They also taught the young ones to fear the youkai and hanyou that roamed that land, some didn't care for the humans and left them to them selves, other were more interested in the food, values and other pleasures they could extract from them, and not all of them did so in a friendly manner. Therefore the parents had to teach their kids to be careful and not wander out side at night unless it was important.

As the streets became empty and silent Natsuko moved from her spot at the open door, where she had been watching the children, it was her favourite time of the day where she could watch them play and laugh. She was almost 17 now some of the children could have been hers if someone had wanted to marry her. She made a face _'like anybody would want to marry a scrawny too tall girl, who on top of that is so poor she has no dowry'_ she sighed and went over to her small fire where her diner was getting ready. Not that there was very much of it but it was enough to keep her from dieing of hunger. Natsuko was a tall girl compared to the other girls at her age, her eyes were violet and her long hair was black. Because of lack of food she was very thin and that along with her height gave her the look of a scarecrow.

Once more she thought back to her life before, when her mother had been alive. Her father she had never known but she knew that her mother and father had been married. Her mother had carried a necklace that was a wedding gift from her husband, who ever he was.

But Natsuko's happy life had been destroyed on the night of her 10th birthday.

- Flashback-

"Nat honey, get up" her mother whispered in her ear. Natsuko opened her eyes and knew from the tone of her mother's voice that this was no birthday surprise. "Quickly get some clothes on, hurry" her mother urged. Natsuko got up and put on her clothes as fast as she could. As soon as she had the clothes on she was dragged out the door towards the woods. Her mother looked around afraid, like the shadows would come after them.

"Mama what is wrong?" she asked. Her mother looked down at her with fear in her eyes "bad men are coming, you must hide. I will go back and warn the others once I know you are safe" That was all the explanations she would give and she started dragging the child further into the forest, away from the village.

Soon they came to a small clearing where they had lunch just earlier that day. It was at the same time they had discovered an abandoned fox den. "Hide in there" her mother said and pointed towards the den "don't come out until I or Rika comes and get you understood?" Natsuko nodded her small hands clutching her doll. Her mother gave her a small skin of water, bending down she gave her a kiss on the forehead before Natsuko crawled into the den. Then she turned and ran towards the village.

Natsuko waited as she was told, she could hear screams and shouts from the village. Natsuko clinged to her doll her heart racing, filled with fear of the attackers and the fate of her village. He mouth and throat twisted and dried, and she remembered the water her mother had given her. Pulling out the cork and took a sip from the skin to wet her mouth. It didn't take long before the sleeping drug took over and she fell asleep. Her dreams filled with horrid pictures of the villages getting killed by large monsters while the houses burned. Natsuko look around and found Rika running toward her, as Natsuko reached up her hands to Rika the tip of a sword suddenly appeared in Rika's chest. Blood oozed from the wound and Rika's mouth, her now dull eyes looked a Natsuko before sliding of the sword to reveal her attacker. A man with black hair, red eyes and an evil grin. She looked up at him and before her eyes he turned into a giant spider. Natsuko screamed and tried to run. The spider came skittering after her, his large hairy legs gracing her as he toyed with her. Suddenly she could feel herself flying in the air before she hit the earth face down. She turned around and scampered backwards the best she could to get away from the monster. He towered over her laughing hysterically. She heard a dump sound from behind and she turned around. On the ground behind her mother's mangled body lay and from the shadows a large snake made it way towards her. She could see the poison drip from its large fangs. Another hysterical laughter joined the spiders and she put her hand over her ears in a feeble attempt to shut out the terrible sound, but still the laughter of the snake and spider resounded in her head through the night.

She woke up the next day bathed in sweat. Confused and scared she listened for the sound of battle or screams. But the forest was silent. Slowly she made her way out the den and walked toward the village.

Hiding in a bush she looked down on the village to see if any bad men were around, but none was to be seen. The villages were beginning the hard work of identifying and burying the dead. There was no miko in this village so the wounded was treated as best could with the basic knowledge their families had. Most of what they knew about treating wounds and curing the sick was taught to them by Natsuko's mother. Natsuko ran to her home, sure that her mother would be there waiting for her. But the small house was empty, the only sign that her mother had been there after leaving Natsuko in the woods was one floor board has ripped up and something removed from a hidden compartment underneath.

'_Maybe she is down treating the wounded, yes that must be where she is'_ Natsuko ran to the town centre where all the wounded were gathered. She looked over the women who were walking among the wounded men and women, none looked like her mother. Natsuko started to wander between the hurt, was she one of those? Panic griped her heart '_Okaasan, don't leave me' _she cried as she franticly search the square for her mother. my little baby…shhh, I am here honey Natsuko looked around for her mother, she was sure she had heard her voice just now. "Mama where are you" she asked. Look inside yourself honey…like I taught you, follow the glowing thread

Natsuko nodded and did as so many times before, she looked inside herself; there was the once calm lake of blue, now it was in a uproar. Waves rose, broke and fell mirroring Natsuko's chaotic feelings. Soon she saw the familiar ice blue thread she knew connected her to her mother. She followed it as her mother had taught her to do if they got separated.

It led her to the opposite side of the village and into the forest far away from where she had been hidden.

As she neared she could see the line become weaker and thinner, her small heart cringed in pain and fear for her mother's life. She ran the last way and found her mother lying in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by the corpses of a group of bandits.

"Mama" she ran over and threw her arms around her mother's neck, hugging her fiercely while crying. "shhh honey...my brave little girl" her mother coughed and blood dyed her lips, Natsuko sat up and looked at her mother. Until now she hadn't noticed the gaping wounds that marked her mother. "Listen to me honey, I cant stay much longer" her mother started before cringing in pain, Natsuko cried and shook her head "no don't go, stay mama stay" she cried "I am sorry my dear I cannot, your father is waiting for me on the other side, but I will miss you, my little flower" she coughed again and blood tickled down her cheek from her mouth. "Listen now my dear, you must never let them know. You are not what you seem, you know that….remember what I taught you….never let them know" she looked to her side and grabbed something. Natsuko watched as her mother handed her the sword and scabbard "this is yours now, honey. Your father wanted you to have it, use it only in emergencies. I am sorry…" Natsuko felt her mother's fingers caress her small cheek before they went limp. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at her mothers dead body, then it dawned on her, tears rimmed her eyes and started running down her cheeks before she threw her head on her mothers chest and cried and cried.

-End flashback-

Natsuko fought the tears that always came when she thought about her mother. For almost 7 years she had been alone, fate would it that Rika had died under the attack too. In the beginning the villages had helped her, giving her food and clothing as a sign of gratitude that her mother had killed so many of the bandits before chasing their leaders into the forest. It had comforted Natsuko that her mother's death had not been a slaughter but that she had fought with everything to protect the village and her daughter. But as the years past the villages forgot about the great sacrifice her mother had made and the help stopped. A few of the elders still helped her now and then, but they didn't have much to give, and the others were more concerned with getting their own daughters a good dowry and supplying their sons with the best equipment.

After her 15th birthday she practically left alone to tend for herself.

'_I wonder what it would be like other places than here' _she thought '_will they just chase me away on sight. Times are dark many are afraid of the youkai and humans that have been pillaging and killing through out the land, since the lord's death' _she sighed_ 'at least here they let me stay'_

She ate her diner slowly, cleaned up after her and went to bed. She would have to get up early to help the families in the fields, so she could get food in return.

She didn't get to sleep long before the village bell sounded. Natsuko sat up fast her heart racing with fear '_They have returned!_'


	2. Going up in flames

Natsuko jolted into a sitting position her eyes large with fear '_They have returned!_'

Her first reaction was to throw her blanket over her head and hide. '_What do they want anyway? There is nothing here. The village can barely feed it self with the crops being poor for so long_'

Out side she could hear screams and the sound of metal hitting each other. _'I can't just lie here. I need to do something.'_ Her eyes feel on the floorboard that hid the sword from her father, without thinking about she swung the blanket aside and ripped up board and grabbed the sword. '_At least I can try and defend myself and others with it'_ she drew the sword and dumped the sheath before looking outside. Most of the villages had gather at the town centre where there was better room for fighting. The plan was to have the adult fight the attackers while the old and the children ran to the forest to hide. _'But with a force like this they can't win, there are too many bandits' _she thought and then looked at the children that were already running for the safety of the forest. Pictures flashed before her eyes of all the evenings she had been watching those children playing and laughing. A determination came over her _'I will help protect the children so they at least can get away_'

With that she ran over to the adult villages, she could see in their faces that they too had realized they would not get out of this alive.

Fighting broke out. The supposed to be quite night instead resounded with screams and the clashing of metal.

Natsuko was standing at the back trying to get a hold on the sword so she could use it, but no matter how she tried it just felt wrong in her hands, like it wouldn't fit.

The man next to her suddenly fell to the ground causing her to yelp in surprise, she heard a sickening sticky sound as a sword was pulled out of his body. There was no more time to try and get a feel for the sword because after that the bandit turned towards her. She grabbed the handle of her sword in two hands and held it out toward the bandit.

He looked her over, a scrawny girl with a sword she couldn't handle and barely had enough strength to even lift. His sudden laughter over this, for him, humorous sight scared her more than his sword. _'baka baka how did you plan to do this? You are gonna end up dead. So stupid'_ she thought '_well it I can get them some more time to get away this way at least'_

She swung the sword with all the power she could manage and missing badly, instead of hitting the man she ended up lying face down on the ground. As she opened her eyes she looked straight into the dull eyes of the man that had just been killed.

She recognized him as the village woodcarver, Toku. He had always been kind to her and the other children. Each year at oseibo he would give away some of his toys to the children, and each year he made sure that someone new got the toys so it was not always the same. He had even given Natsuko a small diabolo once. How she had enjoyed watching them play with their new toys. He had been the source of so much happiness, and now he was just lying here with his blood mixing with the earth, while his children were running for their lives. Tears ran down her cheeks before she even knew she was crying. '_These scum are to blame for this, this filth that cant even do an honest days work for their food, instead they steal it from people who works hard for scrapes just to survive'_ she stared back at the bandit behind her, he was still laughing with a hand on his stomach. "bakemono" she whisper. He looked down at her "what was that little girl? Did you just say something" he didn't laugh anymore just stared at her.

"I called you a bakemono" she stated and stared back in spite.

"I was finding you amusing, but I have other places I would rather be. Seems they have captured the children you were so nobly defending, some of the older girls will be passed around later and that will certainly be more fun that being called names by a skinny little girl. You aren't even good enough to play with. Just fun kill"

Natsuko's eyes went wide _'no not the children, not the children' _she stared as the bandit raised his sword to finish her off, it all seemed to go in slow-motion, she raised her hand to some how stop the killing blow from hitting. Her eyes locked with his and she sawn her own death in them. She readied herself for the hit. But instead something else happened.

She felt a pulse of power come from her sword only to clash into something inside her. That released a surge of fire inside her that on its own accord moved into her arm, from there into her hand only to hit the bandit. Within seconds he had burned to a crisp.

She stared at black the body before her in chock oblivious to the danger she was in. Others had noticed what had happened and now the bandits thought that she was a miko and therefore more dangerous than the others. She had to be taken down fast for them not to loose too many men.

The sword sent out another pulse and Natsuko suddenly felt something familiar enter her body. "Mama" she whispered before everything went black.

Slowly she regained consciousness. Around her she could hear the mumblings of the villages. Familiar voices that made her feel safe. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying in front of her home. The sword next to her, like she had dropped it before she herself had passed out. 'but I don't remember going over here at all' her dazed mind realized that there were no villagers with in a 5ft radius, they all seemed to edge around her when they had to pass. She sat up slowly, but even the slow movement didn't stop her head from spinning

All voices around her stilled, nobody talked. They all just looked at her.

A creepy feeling crawled up her spine as she looked around at their faces. They all reflected one thing: fear. They were afraid of her. '_Why?'_ She slowly got up and walked into her small house. She looked down herself; her dress was bloody and torn. She quickly gather some things, her other dress and some cloth, she didn't notice that she had also brought the sword and it sheath.

Then she slowly walked down to the stream where the women of the village normally bathed.

The villages just looked at her as she walked past, none spoke to her. _'I must really look bad with all this blood on me. Why else would they fear me?'_ She did not think about the bandit she killed.

At the stream she took of her clothes and walked into the stream. Franticly she started removing the blood from her skin and hair. _'How did I get all this blood on me anyway? I just don't remember anything after that bandit'_ Then it suddenly hit her _'The bandit! I have no idea how or what I did to have him burned like that, but that must be what they are all afraid of me for. I just have to go back and explain that I have no idea what that was and that I wouldn't do it to any of them. I have been living with them for so long. I would never hurt them'_ She finished up and put on the other dress, her mothers necklace and without thinking about it she strapped her father's sword around her waist.

Then she started to walk back towards the village.

She didn't get far before she was stopped by the men and women of the village. They had their weapons ready and slowly moved toward her, like they were afraid that she might attack them.

Natsuko just stopped and stared at them "w-what is going on?" she asked meekly.

A village elder moved forward and looked at her with a mix of fear and anger on his face "we do not want your kind her, youkai"

"youkai? I am no youkai, I don't know what you are talking about. Please let me return to my home" she answered. She didn't know how to handle the situation.

The mob didn't agree "she has been poisoning our crops", "she's the reason we got attacked", "she is gonna kill us all"

The old man waited till they had yelled all the evil things they now blamed her for. The crops had been bad, some couple that couldn't get any children, the strange decease of one cow and all the sickness and deaths that had been over the years she had been living with them.

Natsuko became pale at the amount of misfortunes that was now blamed on her. "You see youkai, we will have nothing more to do with you. Your house is already burning to cleanse the ground of your foulness and curses" he stated coldly.

"My home?" tears ran down her face as she realized what he had said "but I haven't done anything"

Again the mob disagreed "you killed that bandit with foul youkai magic", "we saw how you killed the rest of them with that sword of yours. It was glowing blue and some of the bandits had ice on them".

Some of the villages spit on the ground before her; soon after the first stone hit her on the head.

Natsuko stared at the mob as a few more stones were sent her way.

"But I don't remember doing that" she whispered before she started to run to her home. She had to be sure.

Soon she could see the flames that devoured what had been her home for all her life. Her few belongings burned along with it, the toy her mother had given her the day she died; the few coins she had gathered over the years; the small shrine she had made for her mother, her whole life was being eaten away by flames.

She didn't have much time to stare at what used to be her home. Now it was a bonfire and around it the children where cheering, they were finally getting rid of the youkai that had done all that bad to them. "But I never…" Natsuko was stunned.

'_What have I ever done to them'_ behind her she could hear the angry voices of the mob. "There she is lets kill her and rid the world of her evil" "the bakemono".

Natsuko looked back at them; they were coming at her fast some where already throwing stones and the children joined in, now throwing stones and yelling at her too.

She ran towards the forest, anything to get away from what seemed like a bad nightmare.

A large stone hit her in her back, making her fall over. As she scrambled to get on her feet she could feel several other stones hitting her back, legs and arms. She cried out in pain as one hit her in the head just before she entered the forest. She kept running, she had to get away. Away from the people she had known all her life, which were now out to kill her for something she hadn't done.

She tried to cover her ears so she didn't have to hear what they were screaming at her, but the small voices of the children stayed with her as she ran as far away from the village as she could

"bakemono!"


	3. Dreams and Meetings

Thought it was time I got moving on this story. It keeps rummaging around in my head and I fear I shall never get rid of it, if I don't write it down.

I made a minor change in the second chapter. After a little thought, I figured that people in middle age Japan didn't know when it was their birthday (plus I have an idea for this), Natsuko still does but the average peasant don't. Instead I found another Japanese holiday where they do give presents and used that. Anyway it is a detail, but now you know.

I know this chapter has been missing for along time, and I am sorry for that. I will do my best to try and get this written faster than I have. And of course reviews will speed the process. In fact it was a review that really got me thinking about this again… so please R & R. Thank you.

Ohh well on with the story….

-----

Natsuko dragged her feet forcing her self to move forward. She didn't know how long it had been since she had been chased from the village. The first long time, fear alone kept her from stopping. Even when she thought she was too tired to move, she pushed herself onward. Their voices still resounded in her head "bakemono, bakemono". Every time she had closed her eyes to try and sleep, the angry faces of the villagers appeared, making her feel like they would catch up any moment. Then she couldn't sleep. Instead she rose to her feet and kept walking; she was too tired to run anymore.

All she could manage was to put one foot in front of the other. She was hungry, tired, her clothing was in rags and bruising was clearly visible where ever skin was uncovered. She had found a few berries and a little fruit to eat and water she had gotten from springs.

Unaware of her surroundings she tripped on a root, she didn't get up. She was exhausted, instead she lay her head down on the ground. Her body refused to move anymore. The long walk and the emotional turmoil had consumed all her energy and she slipped from consciousness.

Natsuko felt someone standing over her as she slowly woke up. She stood up wondering why she didn't feel the pain of her battered body as she thought she would have. In front of her stood her mother. A sad look on her face she just looked at Natsuko with out saying a word. "Mother?" Natsuko cried out. Her mother didn't say anything she only lifted her hand and pointed at a lake to her left. Had that lake been there when she feel asleep? Natsuko wasn't sure, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. This whole thing was confusing, why was her mother suddenly here? And why didn't she say anything? "Natsuko" she heard her mother's voice whisper, but her mothers lips had no moved "look". Natsuko slowly walked over to the lake and looked at the calm surface. She could see her own reflection but nothing else. She looked at her mother again, confused "I don't see anything, mother. It is just my reflection" Her mother didn't move "look" came the whispered response. Natsuko sighed and looked at the surface again. She was just about to say something again, when she suddenly noticed the image changing. Her face became fuller, the forehead smoothed and a mark slowly began to take shape on it, but the mark was blurry, as if she wasn't meant to know what it was yet.

Her ears became pointier and looked nothing like human ears anymore and on her cheeks two pale blue strips appeared. Natsuko looked at her reflection in the lake. She knew all the signs of a youkai but she wasn't one so why would her mother show her this?

"But mother I am not…." Natsuko's voice trailed off as she looked back at her mother. Her mother had changed too. She no longer looked human. Her eyes had changed shape, but the deep blue colour had remained; that colour that looked so much like Natsuko's own eyes. Her hair no longer had the normal black colour. I had changed to a silvery white colour that looked like new fallen snow in the moonlight. And on her forehead the mark of and cold blue ice crystal was clearly visible. Her mother had turned into a beautiful youkai lady.

"So this is how I am different from other humans?" Natsuko asked hesitant. Her mother just nodded the same sad look on her face. "But why do I still look human then?" Her mother pointed back to the lake. Natsuko looked again. Her inner feelings were turmoil after this revelation. Maybe she really was a bakemono then? She had never heard of any youkai that did anything for humans. Either they were uninterested in them or they used their superior strength to kill, steal and wreck havoc among the humans.

Natsuko looked in the water. The first image that came was that of the picnic on her 10th birthday. "It's my birthday" she stated looking up at her mother, who just nodded. Natsuko looked down again. A number appeared in the water. 10 it said. A series of pictures came showing her when she was 10, most of it was normal. Her eating, her playing tag with the other kids. Then the number 13 appeared. "So now I am 13 in the vision?" she asked, her mother nodded. A new series of images was shown. At the time she hadn't thought about it but seeing it now she suddenly realised she was different from the others. Working in the fields she could move larger stones with less effort than they others. The rare times they had let her try to hunt she had always caught something. Somehow she could smell where the animals were.

A new number appeared one more year was shown. Then the next and the next and the next up until now. Every year she could see more signs of her youkai blood showing. She had never thought about it before, perhaps that is why they where so eager to throw her out when they had the chance. She had slowly over the years shown more and more signs that she wasn't just your average human.

A new picture emerged; a male inu youkai with silvery hair in one large ponytail at the back of his head. His eyes were a deep amber colour and on his forehead was the mark of the crescent moon. She could see he was talking with someone. His deep voice echoed through the small scenery like watching the memory of someone else or someone acting a part in a play, but she knew this had really happened. "This spell should keep her youkai powers under control. It should always be maintained by one of you. If not it might weaken and signs of her in heritage might show. But the spell it self should not dissolve completely until on her 18th birthday. Also at the time the spell should give her the needed information to restore it, should she choose to live as a human. Now my friend..."

The voice died away and left a deep silence.

Natsuko looked up at her mother again. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't go live with other humans till her 18th birthday, until then her youkai side would only give her away and she would be chased away again. And if she tried to contact any youkai looking like this they would tear her apart for even speaking to them. "What am I supposed to do now?" was the only thing she could say. Her mother didn't say anything thing. She just turned and walked into the forest. Natsuko got up and ran after her mother. "Okaasan don't leave me? I don't want to be alone" Her mother didn't even turn to look back she just kept walking further away. Natsuko ran all she could after her mother, but seemed no matter how fast she ran her mother always moved just a little bit faster. "Okaasan!" she shouted. "Okaa..." Natsuko was about to shout again when she tripped over something in the grass. Tears ran down her face as she lay on the ground alone. Her own mother had left her. She could see the back of her mother disappearing into the forest. There was no way she would ever catch up with her now. She curled up into a little ball, trying somehow to ease the pain she felt. She was left alone with no where to go. "Don't leave me" was all she could get out in-between sobs. Then her world became black again.

The first thing Natsuko noticed when she woke was the soft feeling of a bed under her.

Slowly she opened her eyes and look around in the room.

It was rich. Tapestries hung on the wall. To her right she could see a small vanity table and at the end of the room was a large closet. The bed she was lying in was huge and she was sure it could easily fit at least one family and they would still have more room than most had in her village. Natsuko felt a pang of pain. She didn't have a village anymore. Her house burned down, they obviously didn't consider her welcome anymore. Natsuko fought back the tears; she didn't want to cry now not when she didn't know where she was. She was about to get out of bed when she heard a knock on the door and a human woman stepped into the room.

She was pretty, with long black hair and brown eyes. Her smile was radiant as she walked over to the vanity table and put down some clothes.

"You are awake" she said cheerily. "I am sure this must all be a bit confusing for you, but you should be okay in no time" she moved over to sit at the bed still smiling, while Natsuko just sat there and stared at her. "You had gotten quite a blow to the head when we found you. But with some rest, food, and proper care you should be back on your feet in no time" She happily said, Natsuko still didn't move. This whole scene seemed so much like a dream she was afraid of moving, what if a movement was all it took for the dream to end. So she just kept starring at this strange woman

"Oh, how terribly rude of me. I haven't introduced myself" The woman extended her hand to Natsuko "I am Kagome, happy to meet you"


End file.
